volume 20, issue 2 summer 2011

VOLUME 20, ISSUE 2

Summer 2011

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In This Issue

Perspectives of Faith in Mission Pages 1 & 3 From the Executive Director Pages 2 From the President Pages 2 & 5 Carmelite Help to Provide Jobs; Legal Recognition of Communities in Turkey; Missionaries Recognized as Heroes; Severe Humanitarian Situation Pages 4 & 5 Congratulations Page 5 PERIODIC PAPER CENTER USCMA Scam alerts and Continuing Search for New Executive Director Page 6 USCMA books & Mission Coop Appeals Page 7 Mission Conference 2011 Page 8 USCMA Resources Page 9

Being Christian in an

Arab-Islamic World:

The Jesuit Center Response

By Raed Awwad, Director of the Jesuit Center, Amman Jordan

The Jesuit Center in Amman, Jordan was founded in 1989. The aim of the Jesuit Center is to help the Arab Chris-tians of Jordan in the traditional church-es (Roman, Greek Catholic and Greek Orthodox) to reflect about their faith and to deepen their life with God. The cur-rent world climate shows how there is still a great need for both this reflection and deepening.

In general these two areas could be described as theological and spiritual. In the Arab, Islamic culture religion has little depth with regards to reflection and interiority. This cultural characteristic describes the Christians as much as the Muslims. We have often asked our-selves how we should enter this culture and try to expand or deepen it. The main reason we think we have some-thing to give here is that without a de-veloped reflection and interiority the Ar-ab world is not able and will not be able to deal with the onslaught of the mod-ern world especially the Western world upon its culture.

To be a Christian in an Arab-Islamic

world especially in the Middle East is both a challenge and an opportunity. It is a challenge because Christians try to live their beliefs, values and convictions which sometimes may not fit fully with their societies. Unfortunately, political disagreements, renewing regimes, the rising of Salafis are new events both Christians and moderate Muslims have to address seriously in the coming fu-ture. Christian values such as love, for-giveness and loving ones neighbor are at stake. How can Christians love those who hate them? How can they accept those who deny their right to live? As things get worse those ques-tions will arise and be questioned more and more. On the other hand, to be a Christian in this chaotic atmosphere is an opportunity. Where there is a lack of love and stability, the need for getting those values back becomes urgent. There is a famous Arabian saying "Only in the darkest night do you discover the importance of the full moon". I think the role of our Center is to bring the light of Jesus to those who are still living their darkest nights. Spiritual nights, intellec-tual nights, financial crisis nights need to be illumined by the touch of God and we, at the Jesuit Center, can be the tool of God's touch.

Christians in Jordan are in an active relationship with their Muslims fel-lows. This interaction leads into dia-logue on different levels: Daily life dialogue, Beliefs Dialogue and Hu-man dialogue. In our workshops we try to address those three levels. What does it mean to be a human?

Continued on page 3

e pray that the Holy Spirit may give light and

strenguh to those in many regions of the

world who are persecvted and discrimi-

nated against becavse of the gospel.

Pope Benedict XVI

http://www.uscma-dc.blogspot.com/

Aparecida Document. This is intended for use in parishes, schools, mission groups, and pray-er groups.

And if you have not yet registered for our Mis-sion Conference, ―Push out into the deep… Communion and Missionary Discipleship‖ which will be held in Miami, FL on October 28-30, this is the time to do it. Archbishop Wenski and the Mission Network of Miami are very eager to welcome all of us. It is promising to be another conference to remember. You will want to be part of this. As you know, we have 3 world re-nowned speakers – Ambassador to the Holy See Miguel H. Diaz, Fr. Steve Bevans, and Sr. Madge Karecki; and 7 amazing dialogue ses-sions with topics that can help us respond ef-fectively to the challenges of mission today. Online registration is available on our website: www.uscatholicmission.org

If you have not visited our website lately, be sure to see it. You will find that it is a more dy-namic site with new sections that you will ap-preciate— like a weekly highlight of articles on mission or the Sunday reflection page intended to help those who prepare homilies or those who simply want to deepen their reflections on the Sunday readings. We have pooled 8 links to sites that preachers use quite often. We also have a very active blog and Facebook page. Follow us on our blog and ―like‖ us on Face-book.

After a very long process, we are finally able to switch to a new database system. We know that there have been glitches in the past. Thank you for informing us about those. Please be patient with us as we transition to the new data-base system. Some issues of the old da-tabase may have been carried over to the new one, and until you tell us, we will not be able to correct them accordingly. Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience. Togeth-er, we hope to finally rid our system of the many issues you told us about.

―A single sunbeam is enough to drive

away many shadows,‖ says St. Francis of

Assisi. May all we do during this summer

time, be sunbeams truly give warmth to

the hearts of the people we meet and help

drive away the shadows that put many of

our people in dark and troubled plac-

es.♦♦♦

From the Executive Director FR. MICHAEL MONTOYA, MJ

For many people, summer is a time to go to the beach or find time to read and relax. Yet for many of us, summer is a time we pro-mote the work of mission in many parishes through the Mission Cooperative Plan all over the country (We thank all of you who have willingly accepted to speak on behalf of the USCMA and for all the dioceses and parishes who welcomed us). Summer is also a time to immerse in the mission world. We wish everyone engaged in short term mission immersion activities wonderful ex-periences that truly enkindle in your hearts the fire of God‘s mission!

As we reflect, share and experience mis-sion, it is quite fitting that the whole Church has been called upon to look into its identity as missionary. The Synod on the New Evan-gelization for the Transmission of the Chris-tian Faith which will be held in 2012 calls upon the whole Church to ―a process of discernment‖ (#3), and to have ―courage to forge new paths‖ (#5) to effectively respond to the challenges of mission. The idea is not simply to arrive at an old formula to address the new and evolving contexts of mission, but "requires finding new approaches to evangelization so as ‗to be Church‘ in to-day's ever-changing social and cultural situ-ations‖ (#9).In the same spirit as the Apare-cida document of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops, the lineamenta for the Synod challenges us: ―Today, a ‗business as usual‘ attitude can no longer be the case‖ (#10). We need to be creative and relevant in our approach. The Church is called upon ―to evaluate their pastoral prac-tice on the basis of the missionary character of their programmes and activities‖ (#10).

Taken seriously, this can usher in a new vitality in the Church, missionary by its very nature (Ad Gentes, 2). After all, as the linea-menta boldly proclaims, ―Being Christian and ‗being Church‘ means being missionary; one is or is not... The lack of missionary zeal is a lack of zeal for the faith‖ (#10). So let us encourage one another in promoting mis-sion and global solidarity. The lineamenta can be found on our website.

Speaking of tools for mission reflection, please be reminded that USCMA has pro-duced a Study Guide for Use with the

From the Board President

TERESITA GONZALEZ DELA MAZA

Greetings friends, I hope you are all in the midst of a won-derful summer filled with restful mo-ments and/or joyful travels. The USCMA staff is joyfully preparing for our upcoming conference, innovating our great new website, and a number of other great things. Don‘t forget to check it out! The summer is definitely off to a running start for all of us. This week I stumbled upon a child‘s drawing of Mary Magdalene running after seeing Jesus resurrected. In the drawing, Mary appeared to be coming off the starting blocks in her own run-ning start. I laughed because it mir-rored our current situation with all the planning for the conference, but it was also consistent with my own mental pic-ture of Mary in this passage. In my mind‘s eye she becomes Maria from Miami, running off a little wilder than the actual text would suggest. Her eyes dance, she waves her arms up excitedly to passersby, (what in any other town would be a little nutty) deeply exhilarat-ed by the joy of encountering the risen Christ. Continued on page 5.

2 ♦ UNITED STATES CATHOLIC MISSION ASSOCIATION

MISSION UPDATE ♦ Summer 2011

USCMA STAFF

REV. MICHAEL MONTOYA, MJ Executive Director

GENEVIEVE MOUGEY Associate Director of Operations

STEPHEN SCOTT Administrative Assistant

SR. ANNE LOUISE VON HOENE, MMS Accountant

Questions/Comments: [email protected]

Website: www.uscatholicmission.org

http://www.uscatholicmission.org

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.uscatholicmission.org/


What does it mean to be a Christian? And how can we have a better understanding and contemplation of the word of God which leads to a pleasant life for all the members of our society? In our Adult Faith Formation

programs we try to supply the participants with neces-sary spiritual tools to start their own journeys. Biblical studies are important tools which help the par-ticipants to deeply understand their own faith and hence live it fully. Through Biblical studies and Spiritu-al Workshop the Jesuit Center tries to provide the par-ticipants with sparks of hope to heal their painful wounds and memories. Hospitality is what characteriz-es our center. "We open the doors of our hearts not only the doors of our center for those who need place to pray", to reflect upon the Word of God or even to share with us their concerns, fears, and hopes.

With the mounting political unrest and dangers Iraqis are facing in Iraq today, more and more Iraqis are seeking asylum in Jordan. But most of those who come to Jordan don't succeed in getting residence permits and work permits and so they are in desperate need for financial aid. Accordingly, some three years ago the Jesuit Refugee Service established itself here to organ-ize aid for the many refugee Iraqis in Amman. With great generosity, financial aid is donated monthly by the American Chaldean Foundation in Detroit. In time, given that the foundation in Detroit couldn't keep up with the aid for the increasing number of refugees seeking help, private donors were sought. On the oth-er hand, thanks be to God, our Jesuit Center opened the Center to the activities of the Jesuit Refugee Ser-vice for refugees in Jordan, which began services for the Iraqis, Christians and Muslim. That way, more can

be done for the poor Ira-qi refugees; the JRS work centers on running a school and paying per-sonal visits to the homes of the refugees.

The Center believes that there is an increas-ing need for retreats and spiritual direction. Through recollections, retreats and spiritual di-

rection, the Jesuit Center tries to compliment it's work with scriptural and theological activities in the line of adult faith formation and religious education. That way, it is hoped that one's faith is personalized and linked up with the happenings and challenges of life. These rec-ollections and retreats are usually given from time to time within the framework of the scriptural and theologi-cal activities of the Center; and sometimes possibilities are open for cooperation in the line of retreats with our Arabic speaking Jesuits in the Middle East province. That way, more and more the adult faith is personal-ized and linked up with life, and the way is opened for personal spiritual direction.

The Jesuit Cen-ter between 1989 and 2007, was involved in adult spiritual and edu-cational formation for Lay men, women, and nuns in various theo-logical, biblical, educational, spiritual, and leadership studies, and they can be active participants rather than passive recipi-ents. Therefore, we encourage them to participate in the process of education through various contempo-rary educational methods and approaches.

Finally, the goal of the Jesuit Center in Amman for now and for the Future is the youth. We encourage them to:

Meet Jesus and form a personal relationship with him.

Develop the traditional Christian faith into a living active faith.

Develop a personal living faith through prayer, reading and interpretation of the Gospels.

Develop the spirit of service through works of chari-ty and mercy.

Get the youth process of moving out into their par-ishes allowing them be spiritual guides in their par-ishes.

With these goals the state of the church in Jordan will grow and grow in the theology and spirituality, special-ly the youths of the church because they are the Fu-ture.

St. Paul said: I planted the seed, Apollos watered it; But God gave the increase.♦♦♦

http://www.jesuitcenterjo.org/ E-Mail: [email protected]

UNITED STATES CATHOLIC MISSION ASSOCIATION ♦ 3

Being Christian : continued from page 1

MISSION UPDATE ♦ SUMMER 2011

KOENIGSTEIN, Germany, MARCH 23, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Discalced Carmel-ites in Lebanon say it is crucial for Christians to remain in the Middle East, and they are collaborating to bring jobs and hope to the faithful there.

This was the report from Father Raymond Abdo, the provincial of the Dis-calced Carmelite Fathers in Lebanon, when he spoke with Aid to the Church in Need.

Father Abdo said it is important to convince Christians not to sell their houses and properties. He said that money coming from Iran and the Gulf states is being used to purchase real estate.

"We might suffer, we might have difficulties, but when we are united with Christ, then we are bearing witness to him and giving hope to others," Father Abdo said. "We are also giving hope to the Muslims and the other communi-ties, since without us they would not have the opportunity to come to know Christ."

The priest also noted signs of hope in collaboration between Muslims and Christians in schools and universities. Even in politics there is a "good dia-logue," he said, even though this is "not always founded on the right princi-ples."

The Carmelites in Lebanon have six monasteries with 31 monks, over half of whom are 35 years old or under. There continue to be vocations, though fewer than in the past, Father Abdo told Aid to the Church in Need. He ex-plained that young people in Lebanon are connected via Internet to the whole world and thus have "the same problems as everywhere in today's world."

But, he said, "when Jesus Christ enters into a person's heart, he does not ask permission of the mind or the culture, but simply says 'Come!'"

Some 40 years ago Lebanon was the only country in the Middle East with a Christian majority; today there is a Muslim majority and Christians make up 45% of the population.+

Dili (Agenzia Fides) - On the occasion of the National Day of the Country, the President of East Timor, Jose Ramos Horta, has praised the work of many Catholic missionaries who lived and worked with the local population before independence from Indonesia. In his speech, reported by "Province Express", biweekly Australian Catholic Jesuit publication, Horta described them as "heroes". In particular, he recalled an Italian Salesian priest, some Canossian nuns, three Portuguese Jesuit missionaries in addition to another German Jesuit, who was assassinated in 1999.

Parliament has proposed to give citizenship to a group of these missionaries, delivering the first Timorese passport during the 90 th birthday of Father João Felgueiras. The 3 Portuguese missionaries, Father João Felgueiras, Father Jose Martins and brother Daniel de Ornelas (deceased), arrived in the coun-try in the early '70s and remained there for over 24 years during the Indone-sian invasion of the island. Thanking the Prime Minister for granting citizenship, father Felgueiras stressed the need to "encourage other religious men and women religious to leave for Timor, to evangelize a growing number of children, so they them-selves can take on the role of leaders in faith in this far corner of the world". The commitment of the religious in the sector will continue with a new project already in the starting phase in the west of Dili. Many young people of East Timor have entered the novitiate and are currently studying in the country to continue the mission of the Society of Jesus (PA) (Agenzia Fides 22/06/2011)+

Aachen (Agenzia Fides) - A crucial step in modern Turkey is the legal recog-nition of religious communities; it is an essential right, which is also the pre-requisite for the full exercise of religious freedom: this is what Otmar Oehring says, on the eve of political elections on June 12, he is responsible in the field of human rights "Missio Aachen", the Pontifical Mission Societies office in Germany.

In an interview with Fides, Oehring highlights the shortcomings in the system of guaranteed rights to religious communities in Turkey: which do not officially exist in Turkish law, there is no regulation that assigns the "legal status" to churches and other communities, with all the following consequences (inability to hold property, make contracts, to have employees to manage schools, start projects, get publications, etc).

The Islamic Sunni community (which is the majority in the country), although does not have an independent legal status - explains Oehring - at least has its life and activities protected by the "Diyanet", the Presidency of Religious Affairs, which reports directly to the Prime Minister. Other communities, how-ever, are "ghost community" because they are a living contradiction, " they exist, but it is as if they do not exist".

"The AKP government (Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan) has not demonstrat-ed a commitment based on the idea that religious freedom is for everyone, not just for one group" emphasizes Oehring. "This unique situation also rais-es the question of whether Turkey can be defined as a secular state. Legal status is one aspect of the problem: we need change in the attitude of the state, society, mentality. Changes are required by the Constitution and Civil Code. Otherwise Turkey will fail in achieving the obligations and aspirations in the respect for human rights", he says.

The legal recognition - he explains - is fundamental in the framework of rela-tions between state and religion "because it denies", in fact, members of religious communities the full exercise and enjoyment of freedom of worship and religion". A positive example in this sense is the history of Buyukada orphanage, confiscated by the state in 1964 and returned to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople at the end of 2010. "The story is an implicit admission by the state, that the legitimized owners exist, but, nevertheless, are not legally recognized".

To overcome these problems, said Oehring, changes to legislation that churches and religious communities are asking the new minority government are needed: first the abolition of Article. 101 (paragraph 4) of the Civil Code, which prohibits religious communities to have legal status as "foundations". "Until religious communities have no legal status they are unable to carry out their activities responsibly and independently", notes Oehring. "All this - he concludes - is a violation to the respect for human rights, to ensure people and communities" and is at the root of many social and religious problems of modern Turkey. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 11/06/2011)+

Juba (Fides Service) - "Whole families continue to wander aimlessly, with no humanitarian assistance, while bombing by government aviation continues", says Sister Carmen to Fides, a Comboni Mexican missionary who works in the Nuba Mountains, which are part of south Kordofan, where fighting contin-ues between the armies of north and south Sudan (see Fides 16/6/2011). "We are concerned about the new fighting, but we still hope that the interna-tional community can come to our aid", concludes the missionary. The satellite filming purchased from the "Satellite Sentinel Project" (promoted

Carmelites Keep Christians in Middle East Collaborate to Provide Jobs; Point to Signs of Hope

The Missionaries Working in the Country have been Recognized as "Heroes" by Parliament

Legal Recognition of Religious Communities: A Challenge for the New Turkey

Two Witnesses Tell Fides: Severe Humanitarian Situation in the Two Crisis Areas of

Southern Kordofa and Abyei

Continued on page 5


From the Board President: continued from page 2:

I have considered of course, that my mental picture is perhaps vastly colored by my cultural context, which I suppose, can be slightly prone to hyperbole. But it reminds me of the happi-ness of knowing the boundless nature of God‘s love and the urgency it gives us to run off to share it. She wasn‘t simply in a hurry. She was fueled by the certainty and relief that her friend, whom she deeply loved, was risen! Discovery of this hope should awaken us, move us and transform us. It is that joy that unified the early Christian communities, moved mar-tyrs then and now, and moves people to act in solidarity with those suffering and in need. It is how God fuels us to embark in a missionary life. And that joy should go with us, wherever we run off to. So with that in mind, I pray for the countless summer mission groups that have set out in experiences both here at home and abroad. I pray for the receiving communities, which de-spite their own needs, will still lovingly receive and guide them. I pray that Mary‘s hope and certainty inspires openness and vulnerability in them, as they begin the dialogue with others. In this issue, we have the opportunity to hear about being Christian in an Arab-Islamic world. We hope you will all find useful wisdom not just for those engaged directly in this reflec-tion, but also for all of us as we work together to overcome barriers for unity in our communities. The Periodic Paper cel-ebrates God‘s mission in the many faces of US Catholics in mission. This issue is dedicated to all of those in whose expe-rience and sacrifice we learn how to become a ―community for the kingdom.‖ The USCMA community is very much looking forward to see-ing you all in Miami for the upcoming Mission Conference! I am honored to serve you, not just as a member of USCMA but also to welcome you in a special way on behalf of the commu-nity of Miami, with the exhilarated enthusiasm of my version of Mary Magdalene! We have long been waiting for you and we know that to receive you is to renew our own sense of Mary‘s joy. We may just run up and down the streets with enthusi-asm...but don‘t worry, that‘s perfectly ok over here! Don‘t forget to register early! The hotel does not provide any transport to and from the airport, so if you need a ride you can call 305-762-1247 and we can help you with that. Miami wel-comes you! See you soon! ♦♦♦

Two Witnesses: continued from page 4 by the American actor George Clooney), shows a strengthening of the army's military presence of Khartoum in Kadugli, the capital of South Kor-dofan, occupied by the northern forces. The military growth raises fears of a new offensive on behalf of Khartoum.

In the other disputed area between north and south Sudan, that of Abyei, no more new fighting is registered but also here the humanitarian situation remains very serious. "The population is still displaced from Abyei and receives some sporadic help. The rains continue to beat the area constant-

Rev. Andrew Small, OMI was named the new director of the Pontifical

Mission Society in the US. Fr. Small previously served as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) director for the Church in Latin America.

Rev. John A. Pavlik, OFM Cap., has been named as Executive Director

of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men. Fr. Pavlik comes to CMSM after having served the Province of St. Augustine, which is headquartered in Pitts-burgh, PA, for six years as Provincial, six years as Vicar Provincial, and an additional six years on the Provincial Council. His Province also has responsi-bility for two "missions" or vice-provinces in Puerto Rico and in Papua New Guinea.

Rev. Juan J. Molina has been named associate director of the United

States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Office of National Collections and director for the Church in Latin America. Father Molina was previously serving as policy advisor for Latin America and Global Trade in the Office of International Justice and Peace at USCCB and previously served as advocacy program coordinator in the Southwest regional office of Catholic Relief Ser-vices.

Sr. Ann Scholz, SSND has accepted the position of LCWR associate

director for social mission. Currently a representative at the United Nations in New York, her work focused on right to education, gender equality and the human rights of girls. Sr. Scholz assumes the position in September.

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Hawai’i Vice-Province announced their new leadership: Sr. Claudia Wong will serve as the new director with Srs. Eva Mesina and Mary Dugar serving as Councilors.

The Missionhurst Fathers have elected Father Tim Atkin as Superior

General. Father Atkin is the first North American to be elected to this post. The other leadership team members are: Ernest Ngombe, Vicar Gen-eral; Luc Colla, General Council; Michael Melanio Reyes, General Council.

The Oblates of Mary Immaculate have chosen their new provincial ad-

ministration. Frs. Bill Antoine (Provincial), Lou Studer (Vicar-Provincial/Personnel Director), Greg Gallagher (Administrative Councilor/Director, Mis-sion & Ministry); and the area councilors: Frs. Jim Taggart (North/South East); Jim Brobst (North/South Central), Art Flores (Southwest), Steve Conserva (Pacific) and councilors at large: Fr. Tom Ovalle and Bro. Bill Johnson.

The Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of America have elected their

new provincial administration. Sr. Patricia McDermott, RSM, president; Sr. Eileen Campbell, RSM, vice president; Sr. Anne Curtis, RSM; Sr. Mary Pat Garvin, RSM; and Sr. Deborah Troillett, RSM.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Newly Elected and Appointed Leaders!

We look forward to continue our partnership in mission.

ly and displaced people are without protection", says Mgr. Roko Taban Mou-sa, Apostolic Administrator of Malakal to Fides. "Children and the elderly are the most affected by this tragic situation: malaria and diarrhea continue to kill people. There is therefore no significant improvement of the humanitarian conditions. In Abyei there is currently no fighting or bombing. The city, howev-er, is still occupied by Khartoum's army and the population is afraid to return", concludes the Apostolic Administrator. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 20/06/2011)+



PERIODIC PAPER : Summer 2011

God’s Mission: Many Faces: A Portrait of U.S. Catholics in Mission Reverend Gary Riebe-Estrella, S.V.D.

Mission Congress 2010

Albuquerque, New Mexico

October 28– 31, 2010

Introduction

Let me begin by thanking Michael Montoya and the organiz-ers of this Congress for the invitation to share some reflections with you about mission and the U.S. Catholic Church. I‘m sup-posed to paint the contexts of mission. That‘s an almost trau-matic assignment for me, who can‘t even draw.

However, I‘m going to give it a shot. I‘ve been asked to do this as a Latino theologian. So, I‘d like to talk first about the mission of God into which we are invited by reaching into the socio-centric or group nature of Latino cultures. Then I would like to explore with you two particular foci of that mission as we‘re called to live it out in U.S. today which are of particular relevance to the U.S. Latino community.

God’s Mission

One way of grasping the nature of the mission of God in our world, the work into which God invites us is to begin, as Scrip-ture does, with the reason because of which the mission of God has taken the concrete form of redemption. As I‘m sure you remember, God‘s mission didn‘t begin as redemption, but ra-ther as creation, crowned as it is with the creation of human beings.

Unfortunately, this primordial account is too often read through the lens of Enlightenment thinking and its emphasis on the individual and not through the socio-centric cultural lens of Latino and other cultures. . In such an individualist, Enlighten-ment reading God creates each human being in God‘s image and likeness variously understood, that we have intellect and will, or that human beings are naturally open to the transcend-ent. And within the creation story so interpreted, original sin is that desire in each human heart to escape the limitations of hu-manity and to pretend to be like God.

The story looks quite different, I would suggest, if we take off our Enlightenment glasses and attend to the text and what it says as it was produced in a socio-centric cultural context.

The first creation story in Genesis 1 has an interesting em-phasis on the plural in the creation of humanity.

26Then God said: ―Let us make [ADAM] in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.‖ 27God created [ADAM] in his image; in the divine image he created [ADAM]; male and female he created them.

28God blessed them, saying: ―Be fertile and multiply.... (Gen 1:26-28)

What becomes clear at we look more closely at the text and less closely at the Western prejudice in favor of the individual is that the creation story is not about the creation of discrete indi-viduals, but that it is the story of the creation of a couple. The second creation story in Genesis 2 plays out this same reality in God‘s musing that ―It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him,‖ which the commentator sum-marizes in his own reflection ―That is why a man leaves his fa-ther and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them be-come one body.‖ (Gen 2:18)

Human beings, by their nature (actually by God‘s nature since we are created in God‘s image and likeness) are commu-nal and relational beings, not autonomous individuals. The sin of this first couple, we are told, is their desire ―to be like gods‖, not to be God‘s likeness, i.e., they want to decide what is good for human beings, what is bad for human beings; i.e., they want to decide what it means to be human rather than accepting that God has already decided that by creating them in God‘s own image and likeness as persons in relationship. And they get their wish: they eat from the tree; their communion is broken; they see their difference not their union (they cover them-selves). It‘s what we see in the ―blaming‖—when confronted by God, each tries to blame the other; they‘ve now become threats instead of partners. Their expulsion from the place of commun-ion continues to play itself out as their own offspring take the next step in what becomes the human story. One kills the other out of resentment and then gives the refrain for salvation histo-ry: ―Am I my brother‘s/my sister‘s keeper?‖ (Gen 4:9)

The rest of God‘s mission with humanity can be read as the affirmative answer to that question on God‘s part and as the struggling and mixed response on the part of humanity. And at each stage of God‘s mission, the emphasis is placed on the re-creation of community. Remember how the story goes? God calls Abraham, bidden to come out from among those whom he calls his own, to found a people who play a role for all. God calls Moses to gather a new people from out of the dispersed tribes and gives them the Law which is the source of their unity, a Law which has three injunctions about the beyondness of God (who remains the likeness in which they were created) and seven injunctions to guarantee the quality of the relations among them [―given that God defines what it means to be human, this is how you are to live with each other‖].

Israel‘s long history becomes the see-saw between obedi-ence to the Law and infidelity to it. But it is a history always played out on the two fronts contained in the Law: 1) whether

1 ♦ UNITED STATES CATHOLIC MISSION ASSOCIATION 1 ♦ UNITED STATES CATHOLIC MISSION ASSOCIATION

PERIODIC PAPER: Summer 2011

the Israelites will allow themselves to be God‘s likeness or whether they will make God into their likeness (idolatry); 2) and, at the same time, whether they will recognize their broth-erhood and sisterhood in communion (how they were original-ly created as persons in relationship) or indulge in discrimina-tion and oppression.

The First Testament ends with the original question unan-swered: ―will we be our brother‘s/ our sister‘s keeper? — will we live the communion into which we were created as God‘s image and likeness?

In response to this still open-ended question, God sends Jesus. Jesus who has an image of God as ―Abba‖ (in whose image we are together made as children of the same parent) and who issues a call to put an end to divisions of religious status, class, gender and politics. Both this image and this call equally put him at odds with the leadership of his time as Jesus unmasks the falseness of the criteria they have invent-ed to measure the humanity of the other, something we hu-mans do to this day, as we create an almost limitless list of criteria of what it means to be human.

Both parties to the divisions (the Romans and the Jewish leaders) find their self-interest best served by Jesus‘ removal, for specialness never lets go of its privilege easily. So they kill him. But I would suggest that it‘s how he dies that tells us the true meaning of his death. He is crucified ―outside the gates‖ (cast out of the community whose reinvigoration he preached): and he is deserted by his disciples, the nucleus of a new peoplehood (who in their abandonment made it clear that they certainly were not this brother‘s keepers). These disciples they break their communion with Jesus, but he re-fuses to break the bonds of communion, condemning no one, keeping his relationships intact to the end.

In the perfection with which he lives out into death the communion with others he has preached, Jesus becomes the transparent image of God. He is raised by the One who guar-antees the ontological basis of the relational nature of human-ity and so, we get our initial glimpse of the God whom we gradually come to know as relational in Godself (as Trinity). Jesus becomes the keeper of all his brothers and sisters, with whom he walks till the end of time.

The small nucleus that gathers together around him begin their journey of inclusion, forced to confront the further barri-ers of race (Hebrew vs. Greek), and religion (Gentile vs. Jew). And the Scriptural story ends with them poised to move out-ward to the world they are called to embrace.

It‘s this vision of God‘s mission, from original communion through broken bonds to renewed communion, that Vatican II embraces as the heart of mission.

―[God] has, however, willed to make men [sic] holy and save them, not as individuals without any bond or link be-tween them, but rather to make them into a people who might acknowledge him and serve him in holiness.‖ (Lumen Genti-um §9)

The original communion of humanity (recounted in the cre-

ation, not of human individuals, but of the couple) is our like-ness to God, who is communion. Karl Rahner, commenting in his book on the Trinity, once remarked that, should we all wake up one day to discover that the doctrine of the Trinity was not true, not very much in Catholic theology or practice would need to change. Rahner‘s comment underscores his understanding that we almost always do the ―Trinitatian math‖ wrong. No matter how many times you take ―God the Father‖ plus ―God the Son‖ plus ―God the Holy Spirit‖ you‘re not going to come out with one. We need to reverse the equation. Our Christian belief is that to be God is to be Father, Son and Spirit. To be God is to be a community of persons in relation-ship. And so, if we are made in the image and likeness of God, then ―to be human‖ is ―to be in relationship‖ since ―to be God‖ is ―to be in relationship.

And so we discover that acting against that communion is original sin (or better, the sin against our origin) and the pat-tern of all subsequent sin (it‘s no wonder Jesus characterizes the Evil One as the father of lies: for every sin is a choice for oneself against the relationships that ground our nature as human, a choice against reality, an embracing of illusion, a telling of lies).

The two fronts on which salvation history has been played out, love of God and love of neighbor, are now fused into one. As St. John tells us: ―to love one another is to love God‖; to embrace communion (humanity) is to embrace Communion (God). It‘s not by chance that in his gospel, at the Last Supper the washing of the feet replaces the Eucharist, or better said, gives us another version of Eucharist.

God‘s mission entrusted to us then is the restoration in history of the communion that perdures as the too-often-unseen reality of humanity. God‘s mission is the making visi-ble in the concrete structures of human life the communion we are and the Communion which is God whom we image.

Class and Culture: Two Contexts that Shape Mission Today in the U.S.

While there may be many ways of characterizing the con-temporary context of God‘s mission to recreate community out of human brokeness, two aspects, in my opinion as a Lati-no theologian , seem paramount. The first is globalization, understood as an economic system which seeks to instill a particular set of values which feed that same system. The second is cultural diversity, understood not as the romanti-cized notion of a rainbow of cultures, all mirroring the won-drousness of God, but as a challenge to live in harmony across the cultural differences which divide peoples one from another. Put more simply, what I would like to do in this se-cond part of my reflection this evening is to think with you about two pivotal issues which ought to focus any ministry in which we engage today: social class and cultural difference.

Social Class

Survey after survey indicate that the gap between rich and poor in the United States is growing at a rapid pace. Writing already back in 1995, Benjamin Schwarz noted that ―With the



wealthiest 20 percent of households receiving a greater and greater share of national income, American society is more une-qual now that it was 25 years ago.‖1 John McCarron in an op-ed article in the Chicago Tribune pressed Schwarz‘s point:

We are now the world‘s most economically stratified industrial nation, with 40 million of us living at or below the poverty level. Just above on the income scale, the working poor have seen their incomes drift into slow decline.2

The current debate about whether or not to extend the Bush tax cuts to the wealthy as well as the massive number of home foreclosures in the past two years only serve to underline the economic divisions which so typify American life today.

These facts are probably not surprising to most of you since many of you work in areas where the population is classified as lower middle class to poor. However, I would like to put up against these statistics about the American population in general another set, this time about American Catholics. In a book pub-lished already in 2000 and entitled American Catholics: Gender, Generation, and Commitment, the following profile appears:

Two-thirds of Catholics are white-collar workers (35 percent are executives, managers, or professionals). Forty percent have family incomes of $50,000 or more. Catholics are now well above the national average in educational achievement, occupa-tional status, and family income. Still a bit behind the most elite Protestant groups, they are among the nation‘s most prosperous religious groups.3

The economic divide which we might decry in the American population in general is not an ―out there‖ phenomenon, but ra-ther is mirrored in the class divisions which exist within our church as well. Underscoring this divide, a recent studies indi-cate that 70 percent of American Catholics are white, while 3 percent are African Americans and between 20 and 30 percent are Latino. These last two populations are among the nation‘s poorest. So, while American Catholics in general (read ―white‖) may have moved solidly into the upper middle class in this coun-try, a substantial and growing number of their co-religionists have not enjoyed the same economic upward mobility. Nor can one argue that it is the great number of Latino immigrants in re-cent years that accounts for the percentage of Latinos and Latino Catholics who remain among the lower class since the figures of the 2000 Census, even when adjusted for undercount, continue to show that more that 60% of Latinos living in the United States were born here.

A church which was once made up predominantly of poor immigrants and which developed ministerial strategies to first provide a safe haven for these immigrant Catholics in the face of a hostile national ethos and then to facilitate their integration into the American mainstream, now stands as a church economically divided between rich and poor.

While I make no pretensions to be an economist, few I think would disagree that the economic polarization present in U.S. society and in the American Catholic Church is not an accident of fate. The neoliberal capitalist economic model and motor

which drive the U.S. and global economies is built on the prem-ise that it is money that makes money. The strikingly large in-vestments made by middle and upper middle class Americans in mutual funds begun in the late 1980's and continuing into the present have been the preferred strategy of these classes to benefit from neoliberal capitalism.4 The embracing of this strate-gy validates the fact that longer working hours, even at higher pay, cannot duplicate the multiplication of capital that is pro-duced by financial investment. However, it is precisely capital that those on the lower rungs of the economic ladder lack. Work as they might in the manufacturing and service sectors of socie-ty, they are unable to accumulate the capital necessary to benefit from the current economic system. This fact would seem to indi-cate that we should expect no radical change in the gapping eco-nomic divide between rich and poor in our nation and our church. In fact, we are witnessing today the reality of the saying we Americans used to apply to countries in the two-thirds world: ―The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.‖

While none of the facts that I have outlined here are new, I am not sure that we Catholics in the United States necessarily appreciate the theological aberration which they represent nor the challenges to mission they present. A church radically divid-ed by social class is a counter-sign to the coming of God‘s reign. The community which should be a living glimpse into the divine promise of a world of sisterhood and brotherhood has instead become a baptized version of society‘s economic disparity. It‘s as if we were reliving the experience of 1st century Corinth about which Paul writes:

...I hear that when you meet as a church there are divisions among you.... .... When you meet in one place, then, it is not to eat the Lord‘s supper, for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper, and one goes hungry while another gets drunk. .... ...do you show contempt for the church of God and make those who have nothing feel ashamed? What can I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this matter I do not praise you. (I Cor 11: 18-22).

The object of Paul‘s outrage is not mistakes in liturgical pro-priety. It goes to the essence of the community‘s sign value, en-capsulated in the eucharistic celebration. And the dire warning that follows Paul‘s description is not focused on belief in the real presence of Christ in the eucharist (even though that‘s the way it was interpreted for me in Catholic grammar school) but is fo-cused rather on belief in the real presence of Christ in the com-munity‘s shared life together: A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. (I Cor 11:28-29)

It is discerning that we are the Body of Christ and are meant to witness to that reality in our relationships with each other on which the question of judgment hangs. How do we American Catholics stand before that judgement today when still, to again quote Paul, ―each one goes ahead with his own supper, and one goes hungry while another gets drunk‖?

So what are we to do? Certainly there is need for social min-istries to those who are in need and I know many of you are



deeply committed to and involved in these ministries. But if my analysis is even remotely correct, ministry to individuals is ultimately a grossly inadequate response. The problem whose results we experience in the class divisions within our church is a systemic one, not one whose source is to be found in indi-viduals. And it is that system that we must engage. As is the case with every system, it exists not as a theory but embedded in institutions, large and small. In his book The Good Society, Robert Bellah argues forcefully that Americans are intentional-ly unaware of the effect that institutions have on their lives. Americans prefer to live in the unreality that life is based on individual choice and on individual initiative without attending to the effect institutions such as media, business, government and church have on the range of those choices and the priori-ties of our initiative.

I would suggest this evening that efforts to close or at least to stand against the economic and class divide which defiles our life as church begins at home. The lifestyles of each of us and of our communities must witness against the consumer-ism that gives value to every comfort and which defines worth by possessions. For it is that value system which creates the needs on which neoliberal capitalism feeds. If we would serve the poor, we need to re-engage them in the strategies of our immigrant ancestors who pooled their resources in self-help groups to accumulate the capital needed to improve the eco-nomic life not of isolated individuals but of the whole communi-ty. Accumulation of capital must be linked with community organizing in which the people we serve learn how to hold po-litical institutions accountable for the choices they make to aid the powerful at the expense of the poor. Christian communi-ties need to link themselves to one another in economic and community organizing enterprises since power for change comes either from money or from numbers and its our num-bers that are our riches. Diocesan structures that placidly ac-cept the economic disparity among our church communities must be forcefully challenged to engage in integral evangeliza-tion of the wealthier Catholics of the diocese and not allow economic self-sufficiency (read ―autonomy‖) to justify the exist-ence of some parishes with large well-paid staffs and more than ample facilities while inner city schools are forced to close. We must engage in constructive political debate to re-peal the foreign policy that allows our 5% of the world‘s popu-lation to consume over half of its resources. God‘s mission speaks to us from the systematic economic disparity which characterizes both church and world. And only intentional blindness to the church we are not can keep us satisfied with one-on-one ministry and complacent with the counter-sign we as a church have become.

Culture Closely entwined with the issue of social class is another significant context which shapes mission in the U.S. today, that of culture. The eventual suburbanization of American Catholics which crowned the economic efforts of our immigrant ancestors and which placed them solidly within the ethos of the American middle class also homogenized their original

cultural diversity. By and large, except for some of those pre-cious family traditions that lingered, by the mid-1960's Catho-lics had become American economically and culturally. The mission of the Catholic Church in the United States, to first provide a safe haven for immigrant Catholics in the face of a hostile national ethos and then to facilitate their integration in the American mainstream, appeared to be over. However, it has always seemed to me that, when one way of entering into God‘s mission ends for a local church, God finds a way to in-vite that same church into a new understanding of mission.

The rapid and large immigration of Latino and Asian Catho-lics to the United States over the past thirty years, and particu-larly in the past decade, has set the stage for just such a new understanding of mission. Ironically, however, at first blush this new mission looks much like the old one. Its protagonists again are immigrants. However, there, it seems to me, the resemblance ends. My reasons for saying this are twofold.

First of all, these new immigrant Catholics have not arrived by boat from Europe as was the case through the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Some arrive by plane and many on foot. The journey they have made, though perilous for some, is a journey that is repeatable in ways that were not true for the earlier European immigrants. For exam-ple, for many Latino Catholic immigrants, particularly those with documents, a return to their land of origin is a yearly event as they renew family ties, but even more importantly as they re-immerse themselves in their original cultural heritage. Immi-grating to the United States for these recent arrivals no longer means a life-long farewell to their land of birth, with its particu-lar linguistic and cultural traditions. It is a change of geograph-ic location, but one accompanied by continued contact with their country of birth. In addition, in their new land they have been identified as a lucrative market by media and business. They have available to them newspapers in their native lan-guage, radio and television programs that reflect the patterns of their cultural background, all originating from this new land. They have the means available to retain much of their culture of origin.

However, I would also suggest that the attempts of many of these immigrant Catholics to retain their cultural distinctness is not simply a matter of either convenience or preference. His-tory tells a quite different story. These new immigrant Latino and Asian Catholics are not the first waves of their peoples to come to the United States. Latinos were present in what today is Florida before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. Asian-American history began in the late 1500's with the arrival of Filipino sailors on the coast of California. Yet, in counter-distinction to the waves of European immigrants that have be-come part of mainstream U.S. society, Latinos and Asians (not to mention African-Americans) have not been successfully integrated into mainstream U.S. society, despite their long-standing presence in this country. Is the difference that Latino and Asian Catholic immigrants‘ conscious retention of their cultures of origin has obstructed their integration? The oppo-site appears to be true. Non-white cultural minorities hold on



to their cultural identity precisely because they have not been allowed to enter dominant U.S. society. Their emphasis on and preservation of their cultures of origin is due in the main to U.S. society‘s discrimination against racial difference.5

While the first invitation to mission of the Catholic Church in the United States might have aimed at providing safe harbor to culturally diverse immigrant groups as a holding tank strategy leading to their eventual mainstreaming into dominant U.S. so-ciety, the new invitation to mission of the American Church needs to rethink the final goal of its service to non-white Catho-lic immigrants since ―disappearing‖ into the U.S. mainstream will not happen for those who are not white.

This leads me to my second reason for believing that the new invitation to mission of the U.S. church is different from the originating one. While eventual ―Americanization‖ may have been the goal during the first half of the 20th century, ―catholicization‖ will need to be goal for the 21st century. Let me explain what I mean.

As suburbanization took immigrant Catholics of the 20th century out of their inner city cultural enclaves and homoge-nized their cultural diversity into the quintessential American Catholic parish, parish was conceived of as a single community of believers, geographically defined. Uniformity in worship be-came a hallmark of Catholic parish life, only the times of the Masses were different. There was a single religious education program, conducted in English and reflective of ―American‖ youth. Some ethnic confraternities survived, but these too were expected to dedicate their efforts to the upbuilding of the single parish community. American Catholic parishes were in their main reflective of American social polity, the melting pot in which cultural diversity was sacrificed on the altar of ―the Ameri-can way.‖

The presence of non-white, culturally diverse Catholic immi-grants presents us with a significant challenge, particularly as these immigrants move out of their cultural enclaves and into the uniform cultural space that has been the American parish. Are they renters, who use the parish facilities for their culturally distinct forms of worship and popular religion? Is it our job as pastoral ministers to provide them with safe spaces while we bank on a hope which has no historical foundation, that they‘ll eventually ―blend in‖? Or should we reconceive the objective of our ministry, should we reconceive the notion of parish or Chris-tian community in whatever setting we do our ministry?

Is there any advantage to thinking about a parish or whatev-er group ministry we‘re engaged in not as the making of the many into one, but rather as the making of the one into many? We call our church ―catholic‖, but we can be tempted to minister as if our church were a monolith, uniform in color and in texture of life. Again, I would suggest that we American Catholics have accepted without critique the example offered us by American social life. It‘s not by chance that e pluribus unum is the motto found not just on our national seal but also on our money. It‘s

the Latin translation of ―globalization,‖ effecting a uniformity of values which can be converted into economic felt-needs which then fuel the neoliberal capitalist economic model, whose con-sequences are to divide American society and humanity into the two uneven camps of the ―haves‖ and the ―have-nots.‖

What if we thought of parish not as a community, but recon-ceived of parish as a community of communities, where the goal is not uniformity but diversity, but where difference is not synonymous with division? Now that would be a witness worthy of a church! For perhaps nothing so characterizes our world today as does division, whether that be economic, religious, ethnic or racial. The front page of our daily papers are rife with stories of ethnic cleansing, of interreligious hatred, of racial dis-crimination. And while we might wish to believe that those sto-ries are of peoples far distant from our shores, our own minis-tries, not to mention what we‘ve witnessed in this country in the aftermath of September 11th, force us to face the fact that those divisions and the violence they inspire are the stuff of life of those among whom we live.

If we read with honesty the pages of human history, we can-not but see that the statistically normal way in which human beings deal with difference is to make the other disappear. In the most traumatic of situations this disappearance is achieved by killing the other. The more subtle strategy for achieving dis-appearance is to mask real difference and so to pretend that the other is really more like us than they seem and so not really ―other‖ after all.

This latter strategy both in American society and in our church bears the politically correct label of multiculturalism. Multiculturalism would have us believe that what makes these new immigrant Catholics appear to be different is simply a mat-ter of their peculiar cultural traditions, usually perceived (although this is a very superficial understanding of culture), as issues of language, folklore and religious devotionalism. Their differences are not so different from the cultural traditions of our forebearers who immigrated to this country. So, we incorporate elements of these newcomers‘ folklore, religiosity and language into the uniform worship style of the American parish, for exam-ple, but without radically changing the basic rhythm or ritual of our worship. We do the first reading in Spanish and have a Vietnamese hymn during the offertory, but we don‘t recast or reshape the liturgical experience itself to reflect their historically conditioned understandings of God or of community. By keep-ing their cultural folklore on the periphery of the Roman ritual we trivialize their difference and make the reality of their other-ness disappear.

Yet at its heart, their otherness is not a matter simply of cul-tural difference, even if this were more profoundly understood than it usually is; their real otherness comes from Americans‘ using these peoples‘ cultural difference as the basis for making judgments on the quality of their humanity. And that, my friends, is the social construct we call ―race.‖ Race is not primarily the genetic differences in the physical appearance of people. What creates racial difference and gives rise to racism is the decision to attribute certain unsavory characteristics to those who look



different and who behave differently than we do. Racism is the process by which we turn cultural difference into division. I would suggest that we need to unmask the trivialization per-petrated by multiculturalism and face head on that the difficulties we experience in our ministry sites with growing numbers of non-white Catholics and in the predominantly non-white communities we serve which are forced to exist on the periphery of our dioces-es are due to the racism which has been endemic to American society since the time it chose to count Blacks as two-thirds of a human person and which has seeped into the fiber of the Ameri-can Catholic Church. If we can‘t name the enemy, then we can‘t confront it.

If it is racism, like economic disparity, that tears at the Body of Christ which is the church, then our participation in mission must be directed at the heart of this division, the generalized and unfounded judgements that white Catholics make about non-white Catholics in the bosoms of the Christian communities we serve. And that participation in mission cannot simply be a mat-ter of denouncing, of preaching against the evil of racism. It must also be an announcing, enfleshed first in our own relationships with those who are other than us. For white and for non-white participants in this Congress and in the organizations we repre-sent that means initiating and nurturing personal relationships across the cultural and racial divides. On the basis of that exam-ple, we need to invite others to cross over, not through the too often trivialization of difference in multicultural liturgies, but in common projects that touch the enlightened self-interest of whites and non-whites alike. It may be the struggle for better schools in our neighborhoods; it may be forcing the city to put up that stop sign on the corner where the lives of white and non-white children are equally endangered by fast moving traffic; it may by leveraging businesses that now divest our neighbor-hoods of their financial resources to invest in those neighbor-hoods; it may be by struggling for more humane conditions in our prisons. Whatever the issues, the unfounded judgements one people makes about another people can be changed only by coming to know the common humanity we share with the other, without denying their differences.

By coming together across our differences, the communities in which we live God‘s mission become models of a society where difference can be recognized without dividing us one from another. Our parishes and other places of ministry can be homes to a variety of culturally different people where their differ-ence is allowed to play itself out in worship, educational pro-grams, and social life, but where these communities also come together around the central values of justice and human dignity which we share across our differences. The groups of people we minister to become a community of communities as a model for a nation that will no longer be defined by e pluribus unum, but by plures et unum.

This struggle for a community of communities will put us against the uniformizing tendencies of our diocesan structures and of the political establishment. But what value have we as a church, if we are not salt for our earth and light for our world?

Mission

What I am suggesting in teasing out the issues of class and culture as two contexts that shape our involvement in mission today is that our primary roles as missionaries are that of teacher and bridge builder. Both as individuals and as members of par-ishes and organizations, we must do the focused critical social analysis that will unmask in ways that are clear to us and which fit our concrete locations the systemic reasons that our church today is a counter-sign to God‘s reign in its complacency about the sin of economic disparity and in its aversion to name the rac-ism that divides our people. Then we must teach those tools of critical social analysis to those with whom we are in mission. And that is real empowerment, unmasking the systemic deceit that robs people of the opportunity to engage their faith in the work of social transformation. With those tools in hand, both we and they can begin the construction of bridges that cross over and narrow the divides of class and culture and begin to reshape our church in service to our world, re-creating human community which has always been the work of God‘s mission among us.

Being teachers of social analysis and bridge-builders at home and among the people whom you serve might seem to be a far cry from what we may have thought it means to be a missionary. But as is so often the case, what seems so ―ain‘t necessarily so.‖ To lead others to a new vision of how the world can be and to teach them the skills to realize that vision is to free their spirits from the shackles of systemic deceit and to allow them to soar toward a new heaven and a new earth, and that work, I believe, is worthy of God‘s mission. 1Benjamin Schwarz, ―American Inequality: Its History and Scary Future,‖ The New York Times, December 19, 1995, A19. 2John McCarron, ―The squeeze,‖ The Chicago Tribune, November 27, 1995, Section 1, p. 15. 3William V. D‘Antonion, James D. Davidson, Dean R. Hoge, Katherine Meyer, American Catholics: Gender, Generation, and Commitment (New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2001), 4. 4―An Increase in Households Owning Mutual Funds,‖ The New York Times, Nov. 13, 2001, C6 5See my more substantive argument on this point in ―On the Threshold: How the Present is Shaping the Future of Ministry,‖ 175-188, in Stephen Bevans and Roger Schroeder, eds., Word Remembered, Word Proclaimed (The Netherlands: Steyler Verlag, 1997).++

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with strong mission experience who will work with the board to promote the vision and mission of the organization. The position offers numerous opportu-nities for national leadership in the area of mission and global solidarity. Requirements: Master’s degree or higher. Pre-ferred areas of studies are theology, missiology or, cross-cultural studies. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership and collaborative ability, good ad-ministrative experience, strong verbal and written skills, and a familiarity with the Catholic Church’s teachings, structures and organizations. The avail-ability to travel is essential. As the chief executive officer of the USCMA, the Executive Director directs, coordinates and over-sees the ongoing administration of the Association. S/he leads the implementation of programs in col-laboration with members, staff, Board, and mission partners to accomplish the vision mission of the As-sociation. The Executive Director represents the As-sociation at official functions of the Church, govern-ment and other organizations; serves on boards and as liaison with other organizations dedicated to similar purposes. He/she facilitates opportunities for the financial development of the organization. For consideration, please submit a letter of application, Curriculum vitae or resume, and contact information for references to Search Committee, US Catholic Mission Association, 3025 Fourth St. NE, Suite 100, Washing-ton, DC 20017-1102. Via e-mail to [email protected] Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

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USCMA Seeks New Executive Director

There are many benefits to modern technology and having our mission groups better able to share infor-mation at greater speeds. There are downsides as well to such changes in communication. Scams are nothing new in human history. Yet, it seems that now the people responsible for master-minding these scams, or scammers are becoming more savy and creative in their use of technology.

There have been two scams involving the USCMA since the beginning of 2011. Both scams involved new communication– specifically Craigslist and Face-book.

The scam on Craigslist currently being run is from a person claiming to be an ordained minister, coming to the US on mission to work and study on behalf of the USCMA. He is seeking tutoring for his daughter. No part of his claim is true. We were alerted to this scam by two individuals who wanted to check the man’s story. We have alerted Craigslist about this scam.

The other scam involved a person who wanted to sell a house to be in mission with the USCMA. The prob-lem was that the house he tried to sell was not his, nor was he a representative of the USCMA.

While we at the USCMA recognize the need to be connected in social media, like Facebook and having a blog, we want to remind our readers and members to NEVER share your personal information like a Pay-pal account with someone you don’t know or are not associated with. If you should have any questions about the validity a project claiming ties to the USCMA we encourage you and your staff, community members, etc., to consult with the USCMA to ensure our participation. Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding

this notice.+

The Challenge of New Technology



http://www.uscma-dc.blogspot.com/

MISSION PROMOTIONS THROUGH MISSION APPEALS

We are staying busy at the USCMA offices– but not so busy that we can‘t go out to see our members!! Check the schedule to see if we are in your area and come to say hello! If you would like to help with our Mission Appeals, call the office to let us know! May 14 & 15 Holy Spirit Parish in Louisville, KY (Louisville) June 18 & 19 St. Collette Parish in Rolling Meadows, IL (Chicago) Old St. Mary Parish in Chicago, IL (Chicago) June 25 & 26 St. Teresa Parish in Norristown, PA (Philadelphia) July 2 & 3 St. Hugh of Cluny in Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia) July 9 & 10 St. Anthony Parish in Sullivan, MO (St. Louis) Ascension of Our Lord Parish in Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia) July 16 & 17 Sacred Heart Parish in Rockport, TX (Corpus Christi) July 23 & 24 St. Alexander Parish in Palos Heights, IL (Chicago) St. Theresa and Mary Parish in Lomira, WI (Milwaukee) St. Margaret Mary Parish in Saint Louis, MO (St. Louis) July 30 & 31 St. George‘s Parish in Farmingham, MA (Boston) St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish in Aransas Pass, TX (Corpus Christi) August 6 & 7 Immaculate Conception Parish in Franklin, NJ (Paterson) St. Vincent Basilica in Latrobe, PA (Greensburg) August 13 & 14 St. Margaret Parish in Lowell, MA (Boston) August 20 & 21 St. Thomas Parish in Nahant, MA (Boston) St. Thomas Parish in Bridgewater, MA (Boston) St. Edward Parish in Medfiled, MA (Boston) St. Anthony Parish in High Ridge, MO (Saint Louis) August 27 & 28 Holy Martyrs Parish in Oreland, PA (Philadelphia) September 10 & 11 St. Joseph Parish in Waupun, WI (Milwaukee)

Are you staying current with events and news of mission? Aside from the quarterly Mission Update,

USCMA also publishes an monthly online Mission E-Update.

Mission E-Update is an online, monthly newsletter published by the United States Catholic Mission Association. It aims to keep us updated on the

who, what, when, and where of the mission world, and to strengthen our partnership in promoting mission and global

solidarity. Sign up to receive Mission E-Update monthly!

[email protected] Do you have your own story of mission or mission event that you

would like to see in Mission E-Update? Let us know at [email protected]

Abraham Joshua Heschel: Essential Writing- The Modern Spiritual Masters

Series, Susannah Heschel. 2011

All is Grace: A Biography of Dorothy Day, Jim Forest. 2011

The Art of Dying and Living, Kerry Walters. 2011

Catholicism in Social and historical Contexts: An Introduction, Curt Ca-

dorette. 2009

The Christian Future and the Fate of Earth, Thomas Berry. 2009

The Emergent Christ: Exploring the Meaning of Catholic in an Evolutionary

Universe, Ilia Delio. 2011

Hospitality and the Other: Pentecost, Christian Practices and the Neighbor,

Amos Young. 2008

In the Spirit of St. Francis and the Sultan: Catholics and Muslims Working

Together For the Common Good, George Dardess and Marvin L. Kriermich.

2011

Jesus of Galilee: Contextual Christology for the 21st Century, Robert Las-

salle-Klein. 2011

Judgment Day: The Struggle for Life on Earth, Paul Collins. 2010

Life is Hard but God is Good: An Inquiry into Suffering, Adele J. Gonzalez.

2011

The Mission and Death of Jesus in Islam and Christianity, Mathias Zahniser.

2008

Mirrors of Grace, Rev. Joseph R. Veneroso, MM. 2011

No Turning Back: My Summer with Daddy King, Gurdon Brewster. 2007

Passion of Christ, Passion of the World, Leonardo Boff. 1987

Peacebuilding: Catholic Theology, Ethics, and Praxis, Robert J. Schreiter,

R.Scott Appelby and Gerard F. Powers. 2010

Prophetic Dialogue, Stephen Bevans and Roger Schroeder. 2011

Reading the Bible, Transforming Conflict, Carol Dempsey and Elayne J.

Shapiro. 2011

Reconciliation, Justice, and Peace: The Second African Synod, Editor:

Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator. 2011

Religion, Economics, and Culture in Conflicts and Conversation, Laurie

Cassidy and Maureen H. O‘Connell. 2011

Seeking Paradise: The Spirit of the Shakers, Thomas Merton. 2003

Ten African Heroes: The Sweep of Independence in Black Africa, Thomas

Patrick Melady and Margaret Badum Melady. 2011

Time and Eternity: Uncollected Writings of Malcom Muggeridge, Nicholas

Flynn. 2011

This is our Exile: A Spiritual Journey with the Refugees of East Africa,

James Martin, S. J. 1999

The Wow Factor: Bringing the Catholic Faith to Life, William J. O‘Malley.

2011

What They Taught Us: How Maryknoll Missioners Were Evangelized by the

Poor, Joseph A. Heim, MM. 2009

Why Africa Matters, Cedric Mayson. 2010

Witness to Dispossession: The Vocation of a Post-modern Theologian, Tom

Beaudoin. 2008

NEW BOOKS FROM ORBIS



REGISTER ONLINE TODAY

www.uscatholicmission.org

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Ambassador Miguel H. Diaz, PhD

US Ambassador to the Holy See “Push out into the deep…”

Rev. Steve Bevans, SVD, PhD

Professor of Mission & Culture, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL

“Blessings and Challenges of Communion and Missionary Discipleship”

Sr. Madge Karecki, SSJ-TOSF, DTh

Director of the Office for Mission Education and Animation Archdiocese of Chicago

“Let down the nets for a catch…”

FACILITATORS

Ms. Alisa Macksey and Dr. Andy Thompson

EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION

Notre Dame d’ Haiti, Miami, FL Archbishop Thomas Wenski, Archbishop of Miami

DIALOGUE SESSIONS

For descriptions and presenters please visit our website at www.uscatholicmission.org

Spirituality of Communion and Missionary Discipleship Sr. Madge Karecki, SSJ -TOSF—Mission Director , Archdiocese of Chicago

Formation (lay missionaries and parish mission partnerships) Sr. Fran Cunningham, SSSF—Mission Director, Archdiocese of Milwaukee & Mr. Vic Doucette—

Director, Volunteer Missionary Movement

“Maintenance and Mission” A Challenge for Religious Communities Rev. Robert Mosher, SSC—Columban Missionary & Sr. Jane Ann Slater, CDP—General Superior,

Congregation of Divine Providence

Creative responses to Today’s Mission Realities Rev. Steve Bevans, SVD—Professor of Mission and Culture, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago

Intercultural Competencies for Mission Rev. Allan Figueroa Deck, SJ—USCCBDirector, Cultural Diversity in the Church

Haiti: What Next? Implications for Missionaries Mr. Anthony Vinciguerra, St. Thomas University & Rev. Alphonse Quesnel, SMM—Pastor, Port au

Prince, Haiti

Immigrants: Called to Mission Dr. Alicia Marill, DMin—Director, Doctor of Ministry Program, Barry University

REGISTRATION:

(includes meeting materials, refreshments, and most meals)

♦ USCMA Member Registration $299 ($315 after September 23) ♦ Non Member Registration $315 ($375 after September 23)

HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS: Please Contact Hotel Directly

The 2011 USCMA Annual Mission Conference will be held at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa, A Marriott Resort. Special Room Rates for Attendees: $99.00 (plus tax) until September 28, 2011. Please contact the hotel directly: 1-800-228-9290 or 1-305-592-2000. Ask for the special rate for the 2011 USCMA Annual Mission Confer-ence Group Code: uscusca. To book your room online, follow the link on our website: www.uscatholicmission.org.

AIRPORT SHUTTLE

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Call USCMA at 202-832-3112 or e-mail us at [email protected] or go to www.uscatholicmission.org

The hotel does not provide airport shuttle services. The members of the Mission Network of Miami have volunteered to be available for pick up. Please ar-range at least 1 week in advance by calling Monica Lauzurique @ 305-762-1247.

USCMA ANNUALUSCMA ANNUALUSCMA ANNUAL

MISSION CONFERENCEMISSION CONFERENCEMISSION CONFERENCE



Faces in Mission:Faces in Mission:Faces in Mission: “The call of God is to listen with an open heart.” Columban Fr. Arturo Aguilar offers this insight when asked about the impact of mission in his life. Hear him and other missioners on the newest feature of the USCMA website Faces in Mission. Every person has the chance to live into their mission identity with a mission spirit. Listen to what other missioners have to say about their own experience in mission.

Share your mission story with the USCMA by e-mail [email protected]

Photo credit: St. Cloud Diocesan Mission Office

CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TO USCMA

All donations are tax-deductible and will go to help USCMA fulfill its mandate to

PROMOTE MISSION AND GLOBAL SOLIDARITY.

Donate on line at www.uscatholicmission.org

Just click on the Make a Gift button.

You can also send a check or money order to:

United States Catholic Mission Association Hecker Center for Ministry, Suite 100

3025 Fourth Street, NE Washington, DC 20017-1107

This Bi-lingual Study Guide is a project of the United States Catholic Mission Asso-ciation in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Chicago Office for Mission Education and animation, and the Missionary Society of St. Columban to help

individuals, groups, parishes, and dioceses in their mission promo-tion and education. In using this study guide, it is hoped that mis-sion becomes integral in our response to our baptismal prom-ise. Spanish translation is made by Fr. Ramon Caluza, President of Union Dominicana de Emisoras Catolicas and General Director of Radio Enriquillo, Dominican Republic.

Study Guide for Use with the

Aparecida Document

on Sale now at the USCMA!

Only $10.00 + shipping & handling.

DVD ORDERS OF MISSION CONGRESS 2010

STILL AVAILABLE

For only $15.00 you will be able to watch the Keynote Speakers and other main gatherings from

Mission Congress 2010!

Rev. Gary Riebe Estrella, SVD God‘s Mission, Many Faces: A Portrait of U.S. Catholics in

Mission

Sr. Janice McLaughlin, MM Turned Upside Down: Lessons from the Margins

Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga: Emerging Directions in Mission

Dr. Kim Smolik and Rev. Clarence Williams, CPPS, PhD U.S. Catholics in Mission:

New Faces, New Opportunities, New Challenges

Ms. Teresita Gonzalez de la Maza and Mr. James Lindsay Emerging Directions in Mission

To order, please email the USCMA at [email protected].

Be a Face in Mission at Be a Face in Mission at Be a Face in Mission at www.uscatholicmission.orgwww.uscatholicmission.orgwww.uscatholicmission.org



BBBeing Christian and "being Church" eing Christian and "being Church" eing Christian and "being Church"

means being missionary; one is or is not…. means being missionary; one is or is not…. means being missionary; one is or is not….

TTThe lack of missionary zeal he lack of missionary zeal he lack of missionary zeal

is a lack of zeal for the faithis a lack of zeal for the faithis a lack of zeal for the faith. . .

Lineamenta, Synod on the New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith #10

Picture shows some members of the

US Delegation to Congreso Americano Misionero 3,

Quito, Ecuador

volume 20, issue 2 summer 2011

Documents